A 17-year-old male died in a single-vehicle automobile accident this morning in unincorporated Lake County near north suburban Grayslake, police said.

According toLake County Sheriff's OfficeSgt. Curtis Gregory, police were notified of the accident at 22970 West Chardon Road about 5 a.m. When they arrived, they found that a Ford Escape driven by the 17-year-old had left the road while heading eastbound on a curve on Chardon and had struck a utility pole before hitting a tree.

The victim, whose name was being withheld pending notification of family, was pronounced dead on the scene, Gregory said.

Gregory said that the victim, who was the only person inside the vehicle, was not wearing a seat belt and that neither drugs nor alcohol were suspected of playing a role in the accident. He said that there were indications that the vehicle was traveling at a high rate of speed.